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Why You Need To Be Suspicious Of Supplements

111 Comments

There is a phenomenon that happens to almost every person who seriously exercises: after you have been lifting and working out for a year or two, your massive “newbie gains” decline, and progress is slower. Seeking a return to your early successes, you look into a variety of supplements, all of which promise to give you an edge: increasing strength and mass, decreasing recovery time, and more.

I have come here today to tell you that a large amount of supplements are bullshit, contra to the sales pitches of the various vendors of snake oil. But to throw the (largely unregulated) supplement market a bone, I will briefly discuss some supplements that actually do work, and I myself have used on occasion:

Supplements That Actually Work

Creatine

creatine

Creatine Phosphate

The first of my chosen supplements is creatine. As we all remember from biology class, creatine (more accurately, creatine phosphate) is a compound within muscle fibers that exists to contain and store phosphate molecules. In strenuous muscular activity, freely-accessed adenosine triphosphate (ATP, a compound created via cellular respiration, and necessary for muscular function) is quickly depleted, and the creatine releases its phosphate, binding it to adenosine monophosphate and adenosine diphosphate to continue the muscular labor.

Creatine will not necessarily make you bigger or lose weight just by itself, but it will stave off muscular exhaustion, allowing you to do an extra set, or run that extra 200 meters or what have you. In other words, creatine will only have any benefit for you if you are already doing a regular program of exercise—it won’t do you any good sitting on your couch playing video games

Protein

protein

The molecular structure of protein

Protein powder is another useful supplement—the numerous bodily structures and tissues that are made of protein are well known to us all, so the usefulness of dietary protein is pretty obvious, but what may not be obvious to you is that whey-derived protein mixes are fairly high in calcium as well, giving you an added supplement.

Again, you oughta be exercising before using protein powder, because extra nutrients and calories will not do you any good sitting on your ass. Personally speaking, I prefer to get my protein by eating a steak for dinner, with a side order of another steak, but if you, for some reason, have difficulty in getting enough protein in your regular diet, protein powder is a welcome supplement.

Calcium

And finally, calcium supplements. These are largely for older people, but they’re certainly effective if you are arthritic or rickety. Personally, I prefer a much cheaper calcium supplement (that also supplements your mental fortitude), which will be discussed shortly.

While there are other supplements that are effective (multi-vitamins and fish oil, to name two off the top of my head), the number of useful supplements is greatly outweighed by the amount of useless crap you can find in health food stores.

A Few Ineffective Supplements

BCAAs

One I see advertised often is branched chain amino acids: BCAAs do, in fact, increase muscular cell genesis. The problem is, everything you eat that has protein in it, will, by definition, have BCAAs as well. Skip this stuff and drink a protein shake instead. Or better yet, have a sandwich.

Mass Gainers

mass gainer

Mass gainers are actually something I admire, in that I admire a good scam when I see it: take a basic old protein powder, fill it full of sugar and fat, and jack up the price by 100 percent. But I suppose if you want to, in essence, drink a protein shake mixed with candy bars, go right ahead.

But if you seek to gain weight, why don’t you make a protein shake with yogurt, fruit, and oats instead?

And then there’s glutamine, which has been shown in testing to be ineffective when taken orally.

More Snake Oil

There’s a lot more out there, such as testosterone boosters. Being that I lift weights, eat red meat and leafy green vegetables, get a good night’s sleep, masturbate only twice a week at most, and practice power poses and alpha male body language, I don’t need testosterone boosting.

Which is a good thing, because studies have shown many testosterone boosters, such as Tribulis terrestris, Maca, Tongkat Ali, and others may have a benefit in increasing libido, but they do not increase testosterone levels.

Even Zinc, Vitamin D, and Magnesium, all of which have been shown to increase testosterone levels in irregularly low-T men, do not have any benefit of increasing testosterone beyond a standard level.

I could go on and on about the myriad of dubious supplements there are on the market, but I think you got the idea. Instead, let me suggest some “off market supplements” I use, and have worked to my satisfaction

Home-Made Supplements

As alluded to earlier in this article, there exists a cheaper way to supplement calcium levels than the pills purchased in stores: consumption of eggshells, which have been shown in studies to be just as effective as the pills (which are largely made of bonemeal or ground up seasells). You can grind them up if you want, but if you desire to train your mental fortitude, just hork the shells into your mouth, chew them up, and eat them. Do the same for fish and chicken bones.

Speaking of bones, the marrow found inside is one of the most nutritious things you can eat, when compared to the effort it takes to get it (almost none). Prehistoric hominids (AKA the ancestors of you and me) evidently cracked long bones open for marrow. And why? Because marrow is loaded with calories, but also with fatty acids. And fatty acids insulate the axons of nervous cells-in layman’s terms, they’re good for the brain.

And of course, my two main supplements that I apply in the gym: chalk to my hands, and the Russian Army Choir in my ears (Communism excelled at just two things: weightlifting and music. Use this information to your advantage). Those two have done more for me than any ingestible substance.

So if there is a conclusion to be drawn, it is that even the best of supplements are just that: SUPPLEMENTS, they are supposed to add a little bit to a balanced diet and lifestyle. Ultimately, the best things you can do for your health is to get regular strenuous exercise, eat a good diet, and get regular sleep. Leave the snake oil salesmen in the Wild West where they belong.

Read More: Supplements Don’t Build Muscle

111 thoughts on “Why You Need To Be Suspicious Of Supplements”

  1. People who do not masturbate enough get prostate trouble later in life. Every day is important when young

      1. It’s simple and free. Does not require game. And is healthy. Don’t have to buy drinks for gold-diggers.. No STD’s. Don’t have to listen to loud music in a bar.
        But a word to the wise. Put a piece of tape over the camera of your computer if you are watching porn. Russian hackers have activated cameras and blackmail people . I am pleased to announce to the world I no longer watch porn, but that was not always the case.
        In this day and age, OPSEC should never be discarded. Even when using your own private tool.

        1. I don’t do any sexual activities.
          It’s been more than a year since the last time I indulged in it.
          Didn’t turn into Elliot Rodger.
          I’m free now and I’m never coming back.

    3. Dudes are we really all about porn and masturbation here? Get a woman or two they are so must fun. Dating Rosy Palms and her five sisters is for emergencies. Save a wee bit for the real girls

      2. Women aren’t as reliable that’s the problem. You never can be sure they will turn up. And then there’s the problem of getting rid of them afterwards.

    4. Selenium – 200 mcg per day in the form of selenium yeast – cuts prostate cancer risk dramatically. It’s probably one of strongest protective effects of any supplement on any cancer out there.

      5. One big study found 50% reduction in overall cancer death rate. Pretty decent odds reduction.

  2. We need to stop this nonsense of taking antioxidant vitamins because they pose a cancer risk instead of allegedly protecting us from cancer. And we should have realized this long ago: Cancer cells have the same metabolic pathways as normal cells, so they need vitamins, too.

      1. Not really, theres strong evidence to suggest heavily supplementing anti-oxidants can reduce your innate production of anti-oxidants, in a similar way that supplementing exogenous hormones will stop production of the organ which produces said hormone with subsequent atrophy.
        Oxidants are a biomarker which instigate the need for repair or chemical alteration through various means. Similar to taking antihistamines, while its a annoying to be hot, red and itchy. If that mechanism is constantly muted for decades (as is the case with young men supplementing from say 15 until they die) its not the best thing for you.
        I would also say its more than easy to meet ones calcium requirements through eating green leafy veg, instead of supplementing heavily with calcium (which can cause greater incidence of heart attacks in over 40s) I would suggest getting more vitamin D through eating oily fish, which has the added benefit of anti-inflammatory omega fatty acids.
        Moreover, the bioavailability of multivitamins has been show time and again to be piss poor i.e. 19% and lower so even if you arent risking cancer and heart attacks because its not being absorbed, youre just wasting money on what could have been spent on decent tasting food

    2. Its just more complicated than simply “prevent damage”. There are some diseases that they’ve shown reactive oxygen species actually make the virus more virulent by helping it mutate(which is probably why your body shuts down metabolism sometimes). Others a fever with its super high production of ROS can help kill pathogens. I’ve been noticing a number of herbs that are supposed to help improve the liver function(fo ti, chlorella, spirulina, castor oil) are known to be fairly toxic(my belief is there is a selective culling of older, damaged cells). There is still much to learn in medicine.

  4. I used a couple different standard protein powders for about a year-and-a-half, but I didn’t really notice anything different, although lots of men swear by them.
    What helped me push past the early gains and really get sustained improvement was simply cleaning up my diet and cutting back on alcohol. Almost all packaged food you buy has either corn syrup or some other kind of added sugar. Even “healthy” packaged foods like whole-wheat bread will have it. I go a little farther than some people, like making my own mayo and grinding the wheat for flour, but for me it is worth it.
    Cutting back on the alcohol is obvious. If you’re weak from last night, then you’re not going to have a good workout no matter how much coffee you drink. I like my beer, but heavy drinking just isn’t compatible with lifting.
    One other thing that helps push past a plateau is simply changing the routine a bit. I tend to get a bit bored after a few months of doing the same set of exercises.
    Don’t forget aggressive heavy metal for inspiration:


    1. Needs to be darker and more brutal. But kudos to the Morbid Angel.

      1. Scream Bloody Gore is a good selection as well, but I lost interest in new Death Metal sometime in the early 2000s; it just all started sounding the same.

        1. Still fairly entertaining with the better production values though!

    2. Yeah I think protein is largely a scam. In men’s minds it works the same way as Dumbo’s magic feather.

      1. Want to know about a very funny scam in the supplement industry? Self-proclaimed “natural” bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn sells freeze dried duck eggs for $700

      2. It is a bit of a scam to some, but when you are trying to consume 4-5000 clean calories a day for a bulk it is incredibly important. I did a bulk a few years ago and was eating something like 4200 calories a day all clean with maybe 2.5x g protein per pound of desired body weight (which was 215 so f yeah) there is just so much grilled, poached or other wise boring af chicken a human being can eat before the jaw and teeth start retreating.
        28g of protein with 0 fat and 280 calories…yeah, sign me up.
        Still, for the larger public you are totally right. Protein is a valuable supplement to a certain type of person on a certain type of diet and a certain type of work out regiment. I don’t blame them for marketing and making money off of people who don’t need it though.

        1. If bulking is important to you I understand. Of course it is still important to get a good protein powder because most of it is junk. I have heard of professional bodybuilders bulking from the tossed out patties from McDonalds! Protein yes. Good no.
          But yes the average Joe is being completely scammed by protein powder. They are convinced the only way to build muscle is by pounding down protein powder. For most of us, a good meal will suffice.

        2. Yes. I no longer bulk like that. I keep good protein at home (Arnold’s brand is pretty quality imo) but really only use it in a pinch if I am on the run.
          I have seen dirty bulkers who will eat pretty much any garbage as long as it hits their calories and macros. I have never really known someone who was iifym but I bet they smell awful and have disgusting skin.

        3. As for people getting scammed, don’t be too hard on the suppz companies. We all have a right to make a buck and with the internet being, ya know, everywhere, if the consumer is getting fucked then they are idiots.
          People been buying unnecessary shit forever and I’m not blaming anyone who sells it to them. Like Barnum said, one born every minute

    3. Protein powders are just food, nothing more and nothing less.They can be a good addition to your diet if for some reason you can’t get enough protein through your regular meals. For example if your diet is mostly vegetarian or whatever. They won’t cause any miracles to happen, especially if your training is subpar. So I am not surprised that you didn’t notice much difference.

      1. Indeed, and all foods consist of either protein, carb, or fat (these are the 3 macronutrients). It is unlikely that one is deficient in any of these 3, unless you are eating a bizarre or unnatural diet, say of processed foods or on a special food regiment.
        Carbohydrate provides 4 calories per gram.
        Protein provides 4 calories per gram.
        Fat provides 9 calories per gram

  6. I think with nutrition it is important to take a ‘black box’ view of things, to realize that there’s so much we don’t yet know. So there’s no point buying synthesized version of individual nutrients when you can just eat a shit ton of fruit, vegetables and good quality meats instead.
    That way, you’ll not only get the vitimins that science has discovered, but all the things from nature, phytonutrients ect…that they haven’t put in a pill yet.
    And as for mass gainers and all that shite; it basically plays on the insecurity of young men – I mean how big do you ACTUALLY have to be? Lots of mass without the single digit body fat percentage just makes you look fat alot of the time.

    1. Absolutely what this gentleman has said. I would spend the money on bulk herbs and spices, certain herbs contain all the phytonutrients you need per day in a single teaspoon, and it tastes far better than a chalky tablet.
      I think mass gainers/whey are great for that sweet tooth so you can cheat without cheeting by say turning it into an icecream or cheesecake or just a milkshake if youre lazy/short for time. But they will not do anything beyond spike insulin and cause intracellular water retention, given the illusion of gained mass
      Edit- not to mention companies add aminoacids and other amimes to cause a nitrogen spike, leading to cherry picked data suggestive of higher total protein content. If you want to buy it, buy from a reputable company. You get what you pay for and cheap protein is more often than not, terrible

      1. If you have any information or sources of information on spices that would be useful; it’s an excellent point that I had actually forgotten about when I posted the first response. Quite a lot of (good) science on some spices health benefits too.

    2. I agree with you as well, so much of modern medicine fails because they insist on the theory over empirical results. Medicine is so damn complicated and as it is practiced in this country corrupt and monopolistic. Actually I think if you look at the Ayurvedic tradition, they did empirical experimentation for a good 1000 years, with a relatively stable civilization. Technology seems to screw up medicine-one need only look at all the sailors who died of scurvy. Native Americans, and all cultures that dealt with really harsh winters figured out a food to get vit c for their diet. Somehow that knowledge was lost in the rapid technological change of society.

    3. I used to take a pill from vitamin shop call “green phyters” which was “supposedly” phytochemicals from various green sources. Sea Kelp, spirulina, chlorella, wheat grass extract, etc. etc. I liked it a lot and could tell its affects were healthy. They pulled it from the market.. and like practically EVERYTHING of value, certainly some jackasses in a “consumer think tank” decided to “reformulate” it, or remove it from circulation. I take a few of the individual extracts now, and maringa..
      Reminds me of C4 Blue Razberry.. probably biggest selling pre-workout on the market for years. And the geniuses had to change the flavor into this shitty cotton candyish taste. F-idiots.

    4. They won’t even get as big as they envision themselves with off the shelf supplements. All the bodybuilders in those supplement adds are on steroids and other banned substances, and don’t even use those supplements they promote.

  7. A few years back when I was really fat and had horrific cholesterol numbers, I started looking into supplements to help. I hit a plateau with exercise. My doc explained that my body was shutting down to hold on to the fat.. sort of a neolithic era response.
    I ended up taking Pantethine (a form of B-5) after reading about a clinical trial in the Wall Street Journal that showed success in raising HDL and lowering LDL. After taking it, I blew through my plateau. Turns out Pantethine also helps with adrenal function. I have been taking 900 mg (2 pills daily) since then and probably will for life. I dropped 25 lbs of fat through exercise and later, weight training.
    My cholesterol numbers are excellent now.

      1. Always seems like its done to sell a new class of food(fat free! Lite! Lo Calorie!). I have a 40 year old book that saying it was nonsense..progesterone, test, estrogen, etc, are all made from cholesterol and if you dont eat cholesterol say on a vegan diet, your body will produce it.

        1. When fixing my issue, I stopped caring about the cholesterol content of food. I discovered trying to eat low cholesterol is pointless. If you have high LDL it is because your body isn’t working correctly. Too much sugar, letting yourself get fat, no exercise, and too much booze is often the real culprits.
          I cut way back on carbs / sugar (I was eating too much fruit), added more fat (I cook with some lard now), and more protein. I always ate a lot of veggies.
          Feel a hell of a lot better now than I did four years ago.

        2. yeah i agree with you there. I Think the low HDL, high LDL can be indicative of problems(ie hypothyroidism, liver damage). Doctors put it on its head and rather than figure out the underlying problem, they try to adjust the numbers, any way they can, which generally ends up being harmful. Of course Niacin which is more effective than any of their drugs is almost never prescribed.

      2. In regards to the total cholesterol number yes. However, the ratio of HDL to LDL is what matters. You can have a higher LDL as long as the HDL is higher as well. My LDL is still a bit ‘high’, but my HDL count is near 60, so my ratio is actually excellent.

  8. I’d be somewhat concerned about salmonella with eggshells. There’s a very slim chance of salmonella entering the yolk, but a substantially higher chance of it being on the shells.
    Save the shells for fertilizer. Go out and buy a few pounds of marrow bones (I get mine for around $.75/lb) and make broth – that’ll get you all the calcium you need.

  9. You realize how shitty and useless supplements are once when you start experimenting with anabolic steroids.

      1. That’s true, and unfortunate. But it the additional costs for post-cycle therapy (PCT) to get your natural test. production back up adds to it a bit.

        1. Yeah, after using them for years I actually come down hard against them. It’s literally not worth the cost or effort. Maybe if you’re recovering from injury or need an oomph in your 40’s, but the negatives outweigh the positives. I discourage young guys from getting involved. It’s good enough to have that natural jacked look with 10% BF. Chicks will still dig you, perhaps more so, than being too huge and looking like ball sack skin.

    3. There are plenty of people who use steroids…and they get nothing. Then they have to figure what else is wrong with them that steroids aren’t working.

        1. To me I think what the medical industry gets wrong is in not realizing hormones are merely signals, not the actual work that gets done. This is like stepping on the gas pedal of a car is the signal to go faster, nothing more. I believe its a cells ATP production rate that largely decides how that cell reacts to a give hormonal signal(just like the hp of your engine decides how fast you accelerate when you step on the gas pedal). The thyroid hormone T2 directly stimulates ATP production. Its fascinating if you look up mitochondrial disease. Just from a low ability to make ATP you can get all the symptoms of an old man in someone who is 20.

      2. Fake drugs, lousy training, poor eating habits, bad genetics, etc. Any of those or a combination thereof.

    4. ^^This^^
      When you take something that actually works (steroids) you’ll quickly find out that shit you were taking was bunk. Placebo effect is powerful, especially when you’ve never taken something that actually does work.
      If anything “really works” it will be banned because of the unfair advantage it gets you. The article above is good, but is focused mostly on nutritional supplements. You don’t need most/any of them if you’re eating like you should and getting enough nutrients from your diet.

      1. I disagree. I’ve had both those that do not work and those that do. Not everything need be banned, at least not yet. A marked increase in testosterone levels has several very physically detectable in the male body.
        It is best to approach products with the eye of skeptic, in my opinion, but to be open to those that do have a net positive result. Unfortunately that is often not the case.
        The concept of supplements is never that you need them, but they can, if used/done correctly, benefit your overall effort and results, a.k.a, supplement what you’re doing.

    5. I’d say it depends. Most I’ve seen aren’t very good, or at least aren’t worthwhile for gaining muscle mass (more like good for your average Joe rather).
      Hard to find some that are helpful, but yes nothing can compare to super high levels of synthetic testosterone .

  10. The things that work for me (and I’ve tried them all). D.I.M., Horny goat weed, tribulus, DHEA, Tongkat Ali, Yohimbine, creatine, ZMA (I get wood in my sleep) and arginine (for rock hard boners). I think it truly depends on the person though. BUT…I would recommend DIM, DHEA and tribulus as a stack. I finally broke down and got vitamin S cream (sweet spot seems to be every other day and taking a week off here and there). But I use DIM and DHEA still and arginine and ZMA at night. Your dick is your compass. If it isn’t responding….the supp isn’t working.

    1. I agree, I’ve tried a few of those, and you’re right, you know soon whether or not they’re effective.
      Too many armchair critics up in here who seem to think there is no middle ground: either nothing works or only synthetics/steroids work. WTF?

  11. The point about testosterone boosters is not necessarily true. I just finished a tough workout program, and used a testosterone booster (Testo Fuel). I definitely saw increased testosterone levels and I gained strength and muscle weight.
    Not all testosterone boosters are equal.
    Edit: again, I’m referring to a supplement, not a drug, such as we are discussing.

    1. Not familiar with that particular drug, but, let me tell you. If it really works, stock the fuck up on it. Because it will be illegal soon. Anything that actually works is or soon will be banned. But that doesn’t mean there’s not OTC stuff that does work, it’s just hidden in a sea of garbage.
      One of the most powerful oral steroids every sold was once OTC. M1T worked, big fucking time, and you could pick it up anywhere. It was also, unfortunately, as liver toxic as drinking gasoline.
      The problem with the “legal for now” stuff is well illustrated by M1T. If it works, it will soon be illegal. But, worse, the only reason it’s legal now is because it’s a really obscure drug that nobody has taken the time to test (perhaps at all). Good because it’s not on the scheduled list, bad because nobody has any fucking clue what it will do to you.

      1. Like other supplements of it’s kind, it’s a combination of things that boost natural testosterone levels. The ingredients on these supplements are on the label. I’ve had others before but using those with a single or just a few ingredients (Tribulus terristris comes to mind) didn’t do so much.
        I’m not worried about supplements like this being made illegal unlike, say diet pills or something, what with what happened with ephedrine-based ones years ago.
        On the other hand, the hard truth is that nothing tops steroids, which are available on the gray market online (along with generic versions of Viagra, Cialis, etc. too!).

        1. Another fast way to figure out if they really work. Are they on the banned list for the Olympics or professional bicycling? If not, they most likely (like 100 to 1 odds) don’t work. Because if they did exhibit some real hormonal changes, they’d be banned.

        2. I would never use such a list as an end-all determination of whether or not a product works. A product not being banned is not absolute indicator of whether it, especially one just recently introduced, is effective.
          But when I wrote about that particular product, it’s because it’s definitely having a marked effect, based on my experience with similar products and the noticeable difference in characteristics attributed to high testosterone levels. Also the results don’t lie.
          Obviously, I’d need a blood test to indicate how much of a difference (unfortunately that’s expensive for a blood test, as I recall), but based on personal experience of 3 months I clearly got positive results.

    2. Sounds more like a placebo effect. How exactly did you “see” this increase in testosterone levels, was this measured over a couple of days by an expert? And how strictly was this test performed?
      Supplements that really do increase testosterone levels are regulated. Products that claim to do the same as regulated drugs are just snake oils.

      1. What? No, definite indicators of a increase in testosterone are most certainly not a placebo affect. I think you’ve got that backwards.
        It’s difficult for those without experience in weightlifting, or using various “supplements” (yes, both natural and synthetic) to understand the signs of (greatly) increased testosterone levels/gaining muscle mass. However I can say it was easy to tell, given all the indicators. They’re quite noticeable.
        There are many naturally occurring items that increase testosterone levels, although typically this pretty low. Of course, regulated drugs have a much greater effect especially due to dosage, as synthetic Test c. & p, for example, but that has absolutely no bearing on whether or not alternatives can be effective. It is more of a question of how much, and if it’s worth bothering with one. I acknowledge that typically the answer is no.
        I find it fascinating that those who don’t put in the time and effort in the gym or trying various products like the rest of us seem to be the biggest experts.
        If you’re willing to pay for my blood tests I’ll be more than happy to show you when I start another cycle.

        1. A couple of questions:
          – So your testosterone was greatly increased. What exactly does this entail, do you have some numbers? If you make a claim like that, it makes sense that people ask you to what extent.
          – How much muscle mass did you gain? This should not be too hard to measure, as all you need to do is step inside a Bod Pod.
          – Drastic strength increase can be an indicator. What were your numbers on the big 4 (BP, OHP, SQ, DL) before you started using that test booster and what are they now?
          – How did you come to the conclusion that I have no experience lifting weights in the gym, what are the arguments which it is based upon?
          https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2da23d552c39bd131a12347b4064c6cbc114205a681ab485ed84908c7924a6b3.png
          Before I asked you these questions I looked at the label of this supplement, because I like to be informed. And this is what I found: Testofuel is just a regular vitamin/mineral supplement, nothing more and nothing less. It does contain zinc. Zinc is kown to boost testosterone in individuals who have a deficiency, a condition which is not uncommon.

    3. There are some herbal products which are not subjected to rigorous testing.
      They do increase T levels but not gonna be more than 10-20%.

      1. All these untested precursors worry me. I feel like you are dancing on a knifes edge. Either get test-e or don’t get test-e other than that, eating well and getting exercise will take care of your testosterone level unless you have some medical condition….I thought about it a while ago and decided not to take this risks with anabolics…including just a test e cycle…that doesn’t mean it isn’t a valid decision, just not for me. All these strange untested chemicals though….very scary to me.

        1. These herbal-natural products have been used for centuries in third world countries.
          It’s just that western medicine doesn’t have much data on it or they don’t completely understand the mechanism of how they work.

        2. Maybe. But, and I may be the one missing out here, I really don’t give a rats ass what some bushmen in a country that I wouldn’t visit on a dare have been using for centuries.
          Western medicine has its flaws — particularly the business of medicine. But the anecdotal evidence of a bunch of aborigines doesn’t interest me. They have no scientific system or, for that matter, food or underwear.
          I will save the third world medicine for third world people. I don’t even like to go to doctors who didn’t go to an IVY or Johns Hopkins I am certainly not entertaining the ideas of some third world denizen who still believes in spirits.
          First world people often look at the third world as a getting back to their roots of sorts. It isn’t. The third world is a dysentery filled pot of shit soup. They can keep their medicine.

  12. I masturbate twice per day. Does that lower testosterone? It certainly adds to my laundry bill.

    1. Yes, I agree, I’m trying my 2nd order soon and hope to use it a “booster” for focus, energy, mood, and alternative to caffeinated products.
      I don’t understand how it’s used as incense, though.

  14. Gainer shakes helped me get back to a healthy weight after a medical issue took about 15lbs in less than two weeks. I was vomitting a lot and couldnt keep hard food or thick liquids down. As I was recovering I got a gainer shake that wasnt super thick and switched to normal protein after I gained about 25 lbs with weight training. My weight went from 140 lbs to 125ish. Now Im at about 150 with a pretty decent fat %.

  15. Potassium is another extremely important nutrient, most primitive diets have around a 5-1 ratio of potassium to sodium. Modern diets are the reverse of that. Replace, table salt with potassium chloride(tastes the same o me), use black strap molasses for sweetening. This got me over my weightloss plateau.

  16. I would say the opposite on BCAAs and protein powder. There are good studies backing up quality BCAAs and I have personally noticed a difference in fatigue levels (i.e. it is lower) on a quality BCAA. In my view, protein powder is largely an expensive waste at best and downright harmful at worst. Steer clear.
    I also don’t think you need calcium. You can get plenty of this from food. Unless you are eating porridge oats which leech calcium from your bones. Or you can just stop eating porridge, whatever works.

  17. Pure whey protein, fresh organic farm eggs by the dozen, probiotics, vitamin b12, D, raw milk where you can find it…B viamin CoQ10, green leafy veggies, pressed wheat grass …….AVOID anything SOY, Canola, Hydrogenated oil anything, gmos, gmo wheat. Mercola.com has a good supply of a lot of these things. Of course training, no substitute for training.

    1. Mercola has interesting products. Unfortunately I was disappointed with their “natural day light” CFL light bulbs. A bit off topic, I know.

  18. I don’t get why whey protein is so expensive, even store brand products (say, Vitamin Shoppe etc). This is just basic whey protein more or less, not one of those pretending to be “advanced” protein or “slow release”, etc.
    A 6lb bag of Cytosport brand at Costco is ~$46 or so. Still far too costly. I feel bad for those who can’t spend much, I’m sure that’s difficult.
    PS: Wal-Mart is a terrible place to buy supplements. They’re really not very good. Vitamin Shoppe is much better and the staff are generally very knowledgeable and friendly.

  19. Best gainer shake ever.
    1 scoop of your favorite protein
    1 cup pasturized egg whites (or raw if you are brave)
    2 scoops oat meal
    1 banana
    Optional if you are a lean hard gainer is the $1 a box ice cream sandwiches. Put on in for added calories.

  20. FIrst off, let me say Kratom, It’s what Kratom Kratom.
    Ok, now that I got that out of my system, I want to say that this is an excellent though incomplete article.
    Well written and informative. The bone munching is something that I’ve been doing for taste for years….never heard of the eggshell but I’m willing to give it a go.
    I do use BCAA. Maybe it does some good maybe not. I can’t tell. But I drink a LOT of water and a little blue raz flavor helps now and then.
    I would like to see the author write a followup with both pre workouts and dissecting the numerous types of creatine and maybe talking about things like CLAs, natural diuretics (dandelion), yohimbe which a lot of well respected natural body builders (like Gethin) strongly recommend, and multis (single pill versus pack (like animal or the Arnold pack)). One other thing is NO boosters which I believe are not just important for your workout, but are very good for your over all health.
    Leaving this stuff out in no way is a flaw of the article which is excellent and clear and never loses focus due to the short length, but I would like to see more.

    1. BCAA’s are a waste of money for the vast majority of people who work out basically. If you eat enough protein rich food then you don’t have a deficiency. These supplements can come in handy if you’re a natural bodybuilder who is in contest prep mode and likes to do cardio on an empty stomach, for example.

      1. This is exactly right. I’ve mentioned before that I do an hour of fasted cardio every morning on top of 2 hours of weights 6 nights a week. This leaves me depleted of quite a lot. IT’s why I don’t worry about my sodium intake (within reason). It’s also why I drink a gallon of water a day (that aside from any I drink with pre-workout protein or BCAA. Could I survive without it? Yeah. But I feel that the BCAA goes resupply my body with things that go missing…especially when I am doing this in choleric deficit. OF course, companies like modern (my favorite) won’t be shy selling this shit to the three time a week gym goer. They need to make money too….just like the gyms letting all the fatties in for new years….those are the people that keep the lights on. The gym doesn’t make money on me.

        2. No. I just train pretty hard. I do three day splits and train each body part twice a week. First split light and second split heavy.
          Don’t get hung up on 2 hours though. That is just an average. Consider my leg day. I do a max out drop set of Deadlifts with rep range 20, 15, 12, 9, 6 x 2 , 3 x 2, 2, 2, 1RM That alone will eat up 45 minutes. By the time I do my back squats which will be 6x4x2 and then 2x2x2 I am only two lifts in and 1:15 minutes. This gives me just enough time to do my leg presses and superset my leg extensions and leg curls.
          I have a lot going on in my life and the intensity of a heavy workout really clears the space. Some people look at me like I am nuts, but many of those people will easily spend 2 hours or more at a bar after work and then tell me I am over doing it and it is unhealthy.
          We all have our ways of dealing with life’s little issues….this is mine.

    2. I’ve been meaning to try a pre-workout. Been increasing my training and I could really use the extra “oomph”.
      I haven’t done the bone munching, but I’ve made big batches of bone broth in the past. Tasty stuff and incredibly nutritious. I’ve heard about baking egg shells and grinding them up into a powder. That seems feasible.

      1. The latest pre I have been using is Kai Greene’s Dynamik Muscle stack of Gamma Ray (NO booster) and Savagr Roar (energy matrix). I mix in some celucor creatine. It isn’t what Jack3d used to be but it is pretty darn good.

        2. nooooooo avoid GNC! Also Vitamin shoppe. Those sales people know nothing and are all hard sells for whatever corp tells them to move.
          if you send an email to me at [email protected] I will be happy to talk to you about goals, sensitivities etc and then recommend a few different ones that you can independently research and then buy for much less money and headache at one of the better online supplement stores like suppz.com (my fav) or tigerfitness (also very good).
          Shoot me a quick email when you see this, I would like to delete this post so as not to leave that address up on the site.

    1. The thyroid hormone T2 does(or more precisely 2 of the 3 forms of it do). It directly stimulates mitochondrial respiration, according to 10 years of rat studies in Italy. You can raise you body temperature several degrees with it. Meanwhile idiot Doctors here say it has no biological activity. Since it supposedly has no biological activity you can buy it over the counter. Just beware it will increase the effects of other things you are taking(drugs, hormones etc).

        2. That part I am familiar with, I read that before. What I haven’t seen yet are reports from reputable sources about how effective it is in practice. The best lab rats are competitive bodybuilders, since those fuckers are willing to do anything to reach their goals. They have no boundaries and will eat a bucket of raw intestines if it would help them to get more ripped.

        3. lol its true about body builders. Many prefer T2 over T3 because it is more pure fat burning, and not catabolic. Just look on forums for them talking about the supplement Alpha T2(though it has a few other ingredients and at one point they switched which kind of T2 it contains). Really T2 is extremely important in exercise. Your body ramps up release of T4, and increases the converting enzyme. The converting enzyme turns T4 into T3..but the same enzyme turns T3 into T2-so T2 is the true endpoint not T3. I found one study where there were 20 percent movements in the blood T3 level over a few minute period in athletes exercising. Where did those massive amounts of T3 go?->T2 why? stimulating mitochondrial respiration is a very good way to increase the amount of exercise you can do. An interesting aside is that it may be more of a true chemical accelerant not just a hormone. If you look at the fastest growing plant in the world, brown algae, it has a very high concentrations of T2 like molecules in it, and the highest concentration of iodine of any plant or animal.

  22. Since the 2014 ban in the US there are very few products I trust. The herbal supplement company’s can kiss my ass. Epistane was $45 for real results, herbal bull shit blend from GNC is $50-$100 and doesn’t work for shit.

  23. ever try Pine Pollen? or Polyrhachis? or Cordyceps? see if those help any. I use them and i like them

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